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W Tennis
vs NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships
Grand Canyon University Athletics
Friday, March 31
Kansas City, MO
10 AM
Grand Canyon
5
vs
2
New Mexico State
GCU tops rival New Mexico State 5-2 in WAC play
3/31/2017 3:58:00 PM | Women's Tennis
KANSAS CITY – The GCU women's tennis team improved to 3-0 in WAC play on Friday with a win over rival New Mexico State. Grand Canyon won five of the six singles matches to earn the 5-2 win and improve their team record to 9-5 for the season.
"The girls had a great win against New Mexico State today," head coach Greg Prudhomme noted. "They are always a tough team, just the same as in many of the other sports and GCU always has great battles with them in the WAC. It's the same with tennis."
New Mexico State came out strong in doubles competition. The GCU senior pair of Tatum Prudhomme and Susan Baklini earned a quick 6-2 win on Court 1 to give the Lopes an early advantage, but the Aggies edged out victories on Courts 2 and 3 to earn the doubles point.
"The match started back-and-forth and tough right from the beginning." Prudhomme added. "The girls showed a lot of heart, fight, and competitiveness. We were able to get three straight two-setters at Courts 3, 5, and 6 and Sasha [Petrzalkova] and Celina [Buhr] played exceptionally tough, staying strong and winning third setters."
In singles play, freshman Emilia Occhipinti got things started for GCU on Court 6. She quickly won by scores of 6-1, 6-0 to remain undefeated in singles play and move to 13-0 for the season. Baklini and Lana Rinaldi also both earned two set wins. On Court 3, Baklini won 6-2, 6-1 and Rinaldi topped her opponent 6-2, 6-4 on Court 5.
With the three wins, and a loss on Court 1, GCU led New Mexico State 3-2. Senior Alexandra Petrzalkova clinched the team victory for the Lopes with a three-set victory on Court 2, winning 6-4, 4-6, 6-1. Celina Buhr rounded out the GCU winners with a three-set victory of her own by a score of 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 on Court 4.
"It was a great team effort and everyone was on the same page," Prudhomme said. "Everyone fought hard with great effort and attitude so we're happy to get the win. We've still got two more tough matches this weekend."
Tomorrow, GCU will face UT Rio Grande Valley for another WAC matchup. The contest will again be played on neutral ground in Kansas City, Missouri.
Grand Canyon Women 5, New Mexico State 2
Mar 31, 2017 at Kansas City, MO (Plaza)
Singles competition
1. Rimpledeep Kaur (NMST) def. Tatum Prudhomme (WGCU) 6-0, 6-4
2. Alexandra Petrzalkova (WGCU) def. Vanessa Valdez (NMST) 6-4, 4-6, 6-1
3. Susan Baklini (WGCU) def. Rebecca Keijzerwaard (NMST) 6-2, 6-1
4. Celina Buhr (WGCU) def. Eli Arnaudova (NMST) 6-3, 1-6, 6-3
5. Lana Rinaldi (WGCU) def. Lindsay Harlas (NMST) 6-2, 6-4
6. Emilia Occhipinti (WGCU) def. Fanni Novak (NMST) 6-1, 6-0
Doubles competition
1. Tatum Prudhomme/Susan Baklini (WGCU) def. Vanessa Valdez/Rebecca Keijzerwaard (NMST) 6-2
2. Rimpledeep Kaur/Marie-Pier Thiffault (NMST) def. Lana Rinaldi/Emilia Occhipinti (WGCU) 7-5
3. Lindsay Harlas/Gabrielle Joyce (NMST) def. Alexandra Petrzalkova/Celina Buhr (WGCU) 6-4
Match Notes
New Mexico State 6-11
Grand Canyon Women 9-5
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3,2); Singles (6,3,1,5,2,4)
"The girls had a great win against New Mexico State today," head coach Greg Prudhomme noted. "They are always a tough team, just the same as in many of the other sports and GCU always has great battles with them in the WAC. It's the same with tennis."
New Mexico State came out strong in doubles competition. The GCU senior pair of Tatum Prudhomme and Susan Baklini earned a quick 6-2 win on Court 1 to give the Lopes an early advantage, but the Aggies edged out victories on Courts 2 and 3 to earn the doubles point.
"The match started back-and-forth and tough right from the beginning." Prudhomme added. "The girls showed a lot of heart, fight, and competitiveness. We were able to get three straight two-setters at Courts 3, 5, and 6 and Sasha [Petrzalkova] and Celina [Buhr] played exceptionally tough, staying strong and winning third setters."
In singles play, freshman Emilia Occhipinti got things started for GCU on Court 6. She quickly won by scores of 6-1, 6-0 to remain undefeated in singles play and move to 13-0 for the season. Baklini and Lana Rinaldi also both earned two set wins. On Court 3, Baklini won 6-2, 6-1 and Rinaldi topped her opponent 6-2, 6-4 on Court 5.
With the three wins, and a loss on Court 1, GCU led New Mexico State 3-2. Senior Alexandra Petrzalkova clinched the team victory for the Lopes with a three-set victory on Court 2, winning 6-4, 4-6, 6-1. Celina Buhr rounded out the GCU winners with a three-set victory of her own by a score of 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 on Court 4.
"It was a great team effort and everyone was on the same page," Prudhomme said. "Everyone fought hard with great effort and attitude so we're happy to get the win. We've still got two more tough matches this weekend."
Tomorrow, GCU will face UT Rio Grande Valley for another WAC matchup. The contest will again be played on neutral ground in Kansas City, Missouri.
Grand Canyon Women 5, New Mexico State 2
Mar 31, 2017 at Kansas City, MO (Plaza)
Singles competition
1. Rimpledeep Kaur (NMST) def. Tatum Prudhomme (WGCU) 6-0, 6-4
2. Alexandra Petrzalkova (WGCU) def. Vanessa Valdez (NMST) 6-4, 4-6, 6-1
3. Susan Baklini (WGCU) def. Rebecca Keijzerwaard (NMST) 6-2, 6-1
4. Celina Buhr (WGCU) def. Eli Arnaudova (NMST) 6-3, 1-6, 6-3
5. Lana Rinaldi (WGCU) def. Lindsay Harlas (NMST) 6-2, 6-4
6. Emilia Occhipinti (WGCU) def. Fanni Novak (NMST) 6-1, 6-0
Doubles competition
1. Tatum Prudhomme/Susan Baklini (WGCU) def. Vanessa Valdez/Rebecca Keijzerwaard (NMST) 6-2
2. Rimpledeep Kaur/Marie-Pier Thiffault (NMST) def. Lana Rinaldi/Emilia Occhipinti (WGCU) 7-5
3. Lindsay Harlas/Gabrielle Joyce (NMST) def. Alexandra Petrzalkova/Celina Buhr (WGCU) 6-4
Match Notes
New Mexico State 6-11
Grand Canyon Women 9-5
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3,2); Singles (6,3,1,5,2,4)
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
Women's Wins the WAC Title
Monday, April 21